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THE RAVEN 

ElHiJR JLLEJ\' FOK-~IS.;r,, 

with eighteen a^ditioii.'il vei-;(\- li> 

SAMUEL L. ^ UFFJ\'EJi—1883. 

MoKKiivTON", Arkansas. 

• 

< '.)|ivri(;lileil by SAMUEL L. Rttffner, witli all riKlilB vrstTVcii. 
r is before Foe's verses, R before Ruflner's. 



r Once upon a niiduighl dreary. 

While I pondered, weak and weary, 
Over iiiiuiy a quaint and curions 
\'(duine of forf^otten lore — 
Wtiik' 1 nodded, nearly iiajipinj.', 
Suddenly there came a lajipini;. 
As of some one gently rapijing. 
Rapping at my chamber door. 
""Tis some visitor."' I muttered, 
• "Tapping at ni\ chamber door — 

Only this, and nothing more." 

)t — And yet 1 felt chagrined and worried 

At taps by which my dream was fiurrie<l: 
Untimely taps my thoughts had hurried 
From bright Elysian shore. 
"No friend," said 1. "could be so rude, 
As to thus unseasonably intrude 
At midnight's sacred s<jlitude. 
By rapping at my chamber door. 
No good friend would thus go tapping, 
Tapping at hj^ieighbor's door. 
Unless important news he bore."' 

It — "I'm sure," said I, " "tis not a ghost, 
For of such thing I love to boast 
My non-belief, as all men do, 

When talking of specters hoar. 
Such dreadful things my blood ne"er chill. 
Pale phantom forms my niiud ne'er till. 
Nor moves my pulse to quicker thrill: — 
I'm not nervous on that score, — 
Tho, others quake at goblins grim, 
I'm solid on that score — 
Staunch and solid to the core,"' 

H— Though fear, my words did not betoken, 
A band of doubts had been awoken 
That would not down, but jeered and mocked 
M\ self-assuring "nothing more." 
With pointed shafts my breast they darted, 
While from my restful chair I started, 
Two steps or more the chair I parted, 
And stood midway the chamber floor. 
The wild winds around" the gables 
Dirges of my dead Hope bore — 
That said in mournful moarns, "Lenore, 
Lenore." 

V — An, distinctly I remember. 
It was in the bleak December, 
And each separate dying ember 

Wrought its ghost upon the lioor. 
Eagerly I wished the morrow; — 
X'ainly I had sought to borrow 
From my books surcease of sorrow — 
.Sorrow for the lost Lenore — 
For tliut rare and radient maiden 
"^' om the angels name "Leuore'"- 
neless here for evermore. 



^l.^./-c. ^ 



THK RAVEN. , < 



I' — And Mie silken, sad, uncertain 

Hdstling of each purple curtain 

riirillcd uie, — filk'd nie with fantastic 

'I'ernirs, never felt before ; 

So (liat now, to still the beatin<<- 

Of my heart,_ 1 stood repeating. ■ 

• "Tis some visitor entrtaling * 

Kntrauee at luy chamber door- j 

Slime late visitoi- entreating ' 

Fjitrauce at my ehand)er door:- 

This it is, and nothing more." 

J 
I'— I'resently my soul grew stronger: ' 

Hesitating then no longer, 
■'>ir."' said I. "or Madam, truly ' 

Your forgiveness 1 implore; 
ISut the fact is I was niipping, ! 

And ^o gently you came, rapjiing, | 

And so faintly you came tapping,* 
Tapping at luy <-haml)er door, 
I'hat I scarce was sure 1 heard you."— - 
Here I opened wide tht- door;- 
Darkness there, and nothing more. ; 

1*- Deep into that darkness peering. ^ 

Long I stood there, wondering,feariMg. j 

Doubting. <tieamii)g dreams no mortal \ 

I'^ver darol lo dream before; j 

i'.iit tlie silence.was unbroken. -. 

And the stillness gave no token, j 

.\:ul Hie only word (luu-e spoken ' 

Was the wiiispered word, "Lenorel" 

This I'whispered, and an echo 

Murmured liack the word, "Lenorel"" 
Merely this, and nothing more. ; 

I'— liaek into the chand)er turning. ' 
.Vll my sold within me bicniing, 
.•^oon again I heard a tapping, 

Som-ething louder than before. 

"Suraly," said I, ".sarely, that is i 

Something at my Avindow lattice; -i 

Let me see Ih.'n, what thereat is, ; 

And this mystery exidore: — \ 

Lit my heart be still a moment, ' 

.\nd this m> stei>.y explore; ■ 

■ Tis the « ind, aiui nothing more." \ 

|{— Stei)ping iiuickly to the window ■ 

So that cli.-tauee miglit ni»t hiniier ' 

Me to hearing to advantage 

What was going on out door, — 
.Ml ghosts of childish dread I cast 
Out of my Soul, then unabashed. 
[ b.ildly raised the lower sash, ! 

(Juicki-r thaiL I'd e-er done before. 
With eager ear against the shutter, 
I li.steneil, as I'd not before, — 
Naught hearing but the winds sad roar. ; 

1" — Open here 1 tiling the shutter. 

When, with many a tlirt and liutler. \ 

111 there steplied a stalely Kaven 

Of the saintly days of yore; : 

Not the least obeisance mad(.-.^e; i 

Not a minute sto(>ped or stayed he. | 

[Jut, with mien of lord or lady. j 

Perched abo^■e my chamber door- 
Perched upon a bust of J'allas, j 
.(ii.st above my chambei door — . 
Perched, and sat, and nothing inor<'. 

P- 'I'hen this ebony bird beguiling \ 

My sad fani-y into smiling. ' 

l>y the grave and stern dec orum j 

Of the countenance he wor(^ 
••'riioiigh thy crest l)e shorn and shavi'n: ' 
••'lliou,'' 1 said, "art sure no craven. i 

(ihiistly. grim, and ancient Uaven, | 

WaiKlering from the nightly shore, 
fell me what thy lordly name is 

On th(i night's Plutonian shore!" 
(^uothtlie Kaven. "Nevermore." \ 



THE HAVEN. 



V — Much I marveled this ungainly 
Fdwi to hear discourse so plainly, 
Thoiijrli its answer little meaning- 
Little relevancy hore ; 
For we cannot help agreeing 
That no living human being 
Ever yet was blest with seeing 
Bird above his chamber door — 
Hird or beast upon the sculptured 
Bust above his chamber door, 
With such name as ''Nevermore." 

K — Marveling still, yet somewhat tearing 
A freakish jest or faulty hearing, 
Upon my part, had deceived my 

Sense or ears with "nevermore" — 
"I'lease sir," said I. "let me intreat 
Von. upon honor, to repeat 
>'oiir lordly name complete, — 
I may have heard it wrong before, — 
Jest not, good sir, nor alias give, 
As 1 fear you did before." 
lie gravely answered — "Nevermore." 

U — "Nevermore, so clear, without confusion 
Of sound, or ought to cause illusion," 
I said, in measured syllables 
liei)eated gravely o'er, 
"rm sure none but a merry audrew 
AV'ould dub his bird with such a slander. 
it seems he had a mind to pander 
To things \\e should ignore. 
My feathered friend, there are some things 
'Tis best we should ignore." 
Quoth the Haven, "Nevermore." 

I? — "Nevermore." T said, with smile, aside, 
'•He seems to take a wondrous pride — ■ 
That clumsy, whimsic, woeful name 
Of his, in telling o'er and o'er. 
If your master were a poet. 
Your cliristeuiug doth sadly show it: 
If, good sir, you did but know it, 
YouVl cease to tell it o'er aud o'er; 
If you but knew- it were unhandsome. 
You'd cease to tell it o're aud o'er." 
Quoth the Raven. "Nevermore." 

It — "Just there," said I, "in that connection. 
Your 'Nevermore' is most perplexing. 
And hath a dllbi()u^ uieauiug 
Unlike it had beft)re. 
Do yi>u mean by siu'li replying 
To give an answer signifying 
An emphatical den} iug 
My conclusions on that score? 
Do you mean, that in future, you'll 

Not heed my counsel on that score?" 
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore." 

\t — "People differ in opinion, 

'.Specially in Taste's dominion: 
Some love the sad, the odd or rule; 

Some love a-sthetics bright glamour. 
If 'nevermore' be no misnomer, 
I fear whoever be your owner 
Is crude in taste, or chronic mourner, 
In need of cheerful Hope's glamour. 
May you and he be happy yet, 

And dazed by cheer Hope's glamour," 
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore. ' 

\l — ''Hope from the box of old Pandora, 
With face as fair as bright Arora, 
Is left to us, to cheer in times 

Of loss, with promise to restore. 
Arora. fair daughter of the dawn. 
Opens the golden gates of morn : — 
JIoiics plucks from wounded heart the 
thorn, 
And heals the bleeding sore; — 
Pluto before Arora flies; 

Hope heals the bleeding sore." 
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore," 



'I!K UAVKiN. 



Ii- 'Noverinoro." lie spoke it well. 

liiitiii that toTio a inoiirnrnJ knell 
< n' deinirted jdvs. there seemed, that tlirillt it 
'rh<' ehonls uboiil my own he.-utV edic. 
■■l*ei'hai>s..' said I. "he, too, hatli sorrow. 
And hopes not fora hai)i)y iiiorrou. 
IJiit (»ii]y seeks my room to Iforrow 
Shelter above nip cluiniber door. 
He cares less for my ha})piness 

Than for that perch above thr> door."' 
Qnoth tlie Haven, "Nevermore.' 

I'- But tlie Haven, sitting- hmelv 
On the |plae1d bust. sp<d<e onh 
That one word, as if his soul in 

That one word he did ontpoui . 
Nothing- farther then he uttered. 
Not a feather then he fluttered, 
Till 1 scarcely more than muttered. 
"Other frien(ks have flown before — 
Ou the morrow he will leave me, 

.\s my Hopes have flown before." 
'J'hen the bird said. "Nevermore."' 

P — Startled at the stillues broken 
Hy reply so aptly sj)oken, 
"Douhless," said I. "what it utters 
Is its only stock and store, 
(aught from some unha]ipy master. 
Wliom unmerciful Disaster 
l'\jll()wed fast and followed faster. 
Till his songs one burden l)ore— 
Till the dirges of his lloiie that 
Melancholy bunlen bore. 
(.)f "Never nevermore."" 

1' - 'Rut theRaven stilllieguiling 
.Ml my sad soul into smiling. 
Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat iu 
Front of l)ird, and bust, anil door: 
Then, upon the velvet sinking, 
I betook myself to liuking- 
Kancy into faui-v, thiuking 
AVhat this ominous bir(lof yore — 
What this grim, ung.ainly, ghastly, 
(iaunt, and ominous bird of yore 
Me.aut in croaking "Nevermore."' 

r This I sat engaged in guessing. 

But no s\ liable expressing 

To the foul whose fiery eyes now 

Burned into my bosom's core ; 
This and morel sat divining, 
^\'ith my head at ease reclining 
On the cushion's velvet lining 
That the lamp-light gloated o'er, 
t'ut whose velvet, violet lining, 
NVith the hiTup-ligh gloating o'er 
SiiK shall press, ah, nevermore. 

I! .lust then there seemed an a|)paritiou — 
\ half defined and speclral vision 
Within the Haven's ominous shadow, 
Athwart my chamber tloor. 
With fixed gaze I bended forward ;— 
It took the form of one 1 sorrowed,-- 
A loved ones form my soul had sorrowed 
Since she had gone to yoiuhn- shore, 
"Knch.'intress of my soul," I cried: 

"llast thou returned from yonder shore'/" 
t^uoth the Hav«n, "Nevermore." 

K - But soon that radiant ]d\antom vanished. 
While from my breast fond llojie was 
banished 
l.ik(^ summer l)ird, when winter comes. 
Far llow II to luijipier shore. 
Then darker grew the silhouette gloaming 
Of jiallid bust, anil bird of mourning: 
.\nd the heart sighed dcM'per moariuug, 
Afrout that s)ia<low on my chamber floor. 
That weird and direful, ourumus 

Sliadow, athw art my chamber floor, — 
And doleful croak of "Nevermore." 



VS 152 



I'lIE UA\ KX. 



1{ — Then death-like stillnoss reiguud supreme; 
All awiiijr solitude there seemed; — 
A f^hastly, hDrroi'-haiiiitcd scone, 

.jThat never. iievei\\v<)idd ifive o'la-. 
My imlse was beatiusi qiiiek and wild, 
Like throhUinj: heart of IVigliteucd child. 
And on my pallid brow, the wliile 
Were beads of watery {fore. 
I'he riaveii eyed my featiii-es sharp 
With beads of watery {Tore, 
Then weirdly uttered, "Nevermore." 

1' 'I'lien, mcthought, the air grew denser. 
I'erfuiiird from an unseen eenser 
Swung by Seraphim, whose footfalls 
Tiukled on the tufted floor. 
"Wretch." 1 cried. "thy God hath lent thee. 
By these angels lie hatli sent thee 
Respite — respite and ueiienthe, 
From thy memories of Lcuore ! 
<.^»uafl', oh quart' this kind nepentiie. 
And forget this lost Lenore!" 
Quoth tlie Raven, •'Nevermore." 

1{— "That word." said I, '-is fraught witli 
meaning, 
Profound beyond its simple seeming, — 
A very talisman, perhaps. 

Of dec|j. prophetic lore. 
But whilst the Raven seems a friend, 
His 'Neverm )re' d >th have a trend 
Toward proi)hecy of dark portend. 
Revealed throui;'h mystic lore. 
I'll have him tell my destiny 

By his quaint and mythic lore, 
Brouglit^froin tlie classic yore." 

R — If bird or beast e'er privilege found 

Of gaining knowledge beyond the bound 
Ofcoin.nou things, the Raven 

Did, on Jordan's sacred shore : 
For tiiere, we're t lid, the Ravens fed 
The seer. Klijah, wanting bred, 
'Twei'e natural he should touch each head 
With waud of hi-, prophetic lore. 
It seemeth natural he would 

Verse them in prophetic lore. 

As bird had ne'er been versed before. 

r — "Prophet !" said T, "thing of evil ! — 
Prophet still, if bird or devil! — 
Whether Tempter sent, or whether 
Tempest tossed thee here ashore, 
Desolate, yet all undaunted. 
On tills deserl land enchanted — 
On this home by Horror haunted — 
Tell me truly, I implore — 
Isthere — IS there balm in Uilead? 
Tell me — tell me. 1 implore!" 
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore." 

R — We lay sweet unction to the soul; 
'Tis human like when we are told 
By prophecy of something great 
And goiid for us in store; 
But when answer to our query 
Takes a form that's dark and dreary, 
Because prophetic, it just ijueerly 
Tells, or means there's good in store. 
We 'ako the answer by contraries. 

And claim it means there's good in store; 
Yetnot content we query more. 

I' — • "Prophitl" said I. "thing of evil, — 
Prophit still, if bird or devil! 
By that lieav(m that bends above us. 
By that tiod we both adore. 
Tell this soul with sorrow laden, 
If. within the distant Aideiin. 
It shall das]) a sainted maiden. 
Whom the angels name Lenore — 
Clasj) a rare and radiant maiden. 

Whom the angels name Lenore?" 
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore." 



THE RAVEN. 



J 



P — "15e that word our sig-n of i)arting'. 

IJird or fiend. I shrieked, upstartiug ; 
"Get the back into the temjiest 

And the nij^hfs PIntoniau .shore! 
Leave no black plume as a token 
Of tliat lie thy soul hath .spoken ! 
Ijeavemy louelines;! unbroken! 
Quit the bust above my door! 
Take thy beak from out my heart and 
Tade thy form from off my door!" 
Quoth the Haven, "Nevermore." 

P — And the Haven, never fliting 

Still is sitting, still is sitting 
On th(^ pallid bust of Pallas, 

Just above my chamber door; 
And his eyes have all the seeming 
Of a demon's that is dreaming, 
And the lamp-light o'er liim streaming, j 

Throws his shadow on the floor; ^ 

And my soul from out that shadow, ^ 

That lies floating on the floor, I 

Shall be lifted — nevermore I | 

R — "jSTevermore"! — Despairs refrain, — : 

There's good in store,"— Hope cries amiaul 
"And the soul from out that shadow ] 

Shall to brighter realms soar." ■ ■ 
Life's a drama fraught with meaning, t 
Whose dark shadows, to ourseeming, ' 
May be gems of brightest gleaming 
Upon some sunnier sliore, j 

And ray the brow and soul with 
Jewels, ujjon some sunnier shore. 
Whose glory fadetli — neveraore. 


















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